Paper-feed-controlling apparatus for piano-players.



I E. R. PHILBLADE. PAPER FEED CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR PIANO PLAYERS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1911.

1 ,08 1 ,9 1 3 Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

- Inge/773T: r,

COLUMEIIA PLANOGRAPH co, WASHINGTON, 0 c4 ITJUIETDZET,

COLUMIBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,\VASH|NGTON. D. c.

ii a

PAPER FEED OQNTROLLING APPARATUS FOR PIANO PLAYERS.

Fig.5.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERIC 3.. PHILBLADE, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

YAPER-FEED-CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR PIANO-PLAYERS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERIC R. PHILBLADE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Fall River, county of Bristol, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Paper-Feed-Controlling Apparatus for Piano-Players, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing llke parts.

This invention relates to pneumatic apparatus of that class commonly employed with musical instruments and known as piano-players.

In instruments of the class described, the operation of the player is governed by a perforated sheet or web of paper or like material, which is unwound from one spool or roll, led across a tracker board and then wound upon a second spool or roll.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus with which preferably the spool or roll from which the paper is unwound, may be moved longitudinally in opposite directions, so as to correct any irregularity in the feed of the paper across the tracker board. For this purpose, I employ a pneumatic apparatus or motor, which is operatively connected with the roll from which the paper is un wound, and connect the opposite sides of said pneumatic motor with a suction apparatus by separate ducts or passages, hav- 1 ing valves which control communication of the pneumatic motor with said suction apparatus, said valves being operated by auxiliary pneumatics, which are connected with air inlet ports, normally covered by the paper if the latter is feeding straight, but which are designed to be uncovered in case the paper is not feeding in the desired or proper manner as will be described.

Figure 1 represents in section and elevation an apparatus embodying this invention, the section being taken on the line 1-1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view with parts broken away of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and Fig 4, a detail in vertical section on the line 44, Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawing, a represents 2 the tracker board of a piano-player or like instrument, which may be of any suitable,

usual or desired construction, and b is the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 6, 1911.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

Serial No. 631,631.

paper sheet or web, such as is used in instruments of this character. The paper web Z) is fed from a delivery spool or roll 0 across the tracker board a and is wound upon a receiving spool or roll (Z. The rolls 0, (Z, are designed to rotate in unison and for this purpose are provided with sprocket wheels 6, f, which are connected by a link chain 9. The receiving roll (Z may be driven in any suitable manner and acts as a driver for the delivery roll. The delivery roll 0 has its shaft 10 mounted to slide in upright frames 12, 13, and one end is shown as supported by an auxiliary upright 14; secured to the upright frame 12.

In order to correct irregular feeding of the paper, the delivery roll a is movable lon gitudinally in opposite directions, which is accomplished as herein shown by a pneumatic motor, shown as a bellows 15 of any suitable or usual construction, which is located in a chamber 16, and has its movable member, 17 joined bv a link 18 to one end of a lever 19, which is pivoted at 20 to a stationary support 21 and has its other end operatively connected with the shaft 10 so as to move the latter longitudinally in opposite directions. In the present instance, the lower end of the lever 19 extends into an annular groove in a collar 22 mounted on the shaft 10 between the hub of the sprocket wheel 0 and a collar 23 fast on said shaft.

Provision is made for effecting movement of the member 17 of the bellows in opposite directions, and for this purpose, the chamber 16 is provided with an air outletport 24 (see Fig. 2), which is connected by a passage 25 with a chamber 26 provided with a ort 27 leading to the atmosphere and witi a second port 28 leading to a pas sage 29, which may be designated a suction or exhaust passage and which in practice may be connected by a pipe 30 with the exhaust or suction apparatus, not shown, of the piano player. The chamber 26 contains a valve 31, which cooperates with both ports 27, 28, and is provided with a stem 32, which extends down through the port 28 into the passage 29, where it cooperates with a pneumatic comprising a diaphragm 34 covering a chamber 35, which is provided with an air inlet passage 36 (see Fig. 4), to which is connected a pipe 37 having its inlet mouth or port 38 normally closed by the paper sheet I), said mouth being located near one edge of the paper web, and in the present instance said mouth is located in a block 39 located above the tracker board a.

The interior of the bellows 15 is connected by the passage 40 (see Fig. 1), with a chamber 41 having a port 42 leading to the atmosphere, and a second port 43 leading to the suction passage 29, said chamber containing a valve 44, which cooperates with the ports 42, 43, and is provided with a stem 45, which cooperates with a pneumatic comprising a diaphragm 46 covering a chamber 47, having an air inlet pipe 48, which leads to the opposite side or edge of the paper b and as shown in Fig. 1 is connected with a block 49 supported by the tracker board and provided with an air inlet port or mouth 50, which is normally covered by the paper sheet or web. Each of the auxiliary pneumatics may be provided with a bleeder opening or air vent 51, only one of which is shown in Fig. 4.

In operation, the air inlets 38, 50 are designed to be covered by the paper sheet or web I) when the latter is feeding or moving in the proper manner over the tracker board, but in case the paper web should feed to one side or in an improper manner, one of the air inlets 38, 50, will be uncovered and the apparatus will be operated to move the roll a longitudinally in the proper direction to correct the improper feed of the paper. To illustrate: Let it be supposed that the paper web in its movement from the delivery to the receiving roll, assumes an inclined path or position so that the air inletport 50 is uncovered. In this case, air passes through the pipe 48 into the chamber 47 and acts on the underside of the diaphragm 46 to lift the same and carry with it the valve stem 45 and the valve 44, which is lifted to open the port 43 and to close the port 42. This action of the valve 44 connects the passage 29, which is in constant communication with the exhaust apparatus of the player and in which a vacuum exists, with the chamber 41 and by the passage 40 with the interior of the bellows or main pneumatic 15, with the result, that air in the pneumatic 15 is exhausted therefrom, and the movable member 17 of the bellows is moved into its closed position or in the direction indicated by the arrow 61 by the pressure of the atmospheric air in the chamber 16 acting on the outer side of the movable member 17, said air being freely admitted into the chamber 16 through the port 27 and passages 25, 24. As the movable member 17 of the bellows is moved in the direction of the arrow 61, it turns the lever 19 through the rod 18, so as to move the collar 22 in the direction of the arrow 60 into engagement with the hub of the sprocket wheel a, so that further movement of the collar 22 in the direction of the arrow 60 eifects bodily movement of the roll 0 in the same direction, until the paper again covers the air inlet port 50, at which time the paper is in its proper or desired feeding position. Vhen the air inlet port 50 has been again covered by the paper, the admission of air into the chamber 47 is shut off, whereupon the air therein is drawn out through the bleeder opening 51 into the suction passage 29 and the valve 44 drops, closes the port 43 and opens the port 42, thereby admitting air into the passage 40 and the pneumatic 15, which balances the pressure on the opposite sides of the movable member 17, and leaves the movable member in its closed position until the feed of the paper uncovers the port 38. When the air inlet port 38 is uncovered by the paper I), the auxiliary pneumatic 34 is acted upon by air pressure and the valve 31 is lifted to close port 27 and open port 28, and thereby connect the chamber 16 with the exhaust passage 29. The air pressure in the bellows then moves the movable member 17 of the bellows from its closed position into its open position shown in Fig. 1, and the lever 19 is turned so as to move the collar 22 into engagement with the fixed collar 23 and thereby move the shaft 10 and the roll 0 thereon in the direction indicated by the arrow 61, until the paper has been restored to its proper position and covers the air inlet port 38. When the air inlet port 38 is again covered, the air in the auxiliary pneumatic 34 passes through the bleeder openings 51 into the exhaust passage 29, the valve 31 drops, closes the port 28 and opens the port 27, which admits air into the chamber 16, thereby balancing the pressure on the inner side of the movable member 17 and leaving the latter in its open position until the port 50 is again uncovered by the paper.

From the above description, it will be seen, that the sheet or web 6 of paper or other suitable material is positively moved in opposite directions by a single main pneumatic or bellows, whose movable member 17 is operatively connected with the paper roll, which arrangement is simple, eflicient and inexpensive. Furthermore, it will be observed that the movable member 17 is moved from its open position into its closed position by the uncovering of the port 50, and remains in this position until the port 38 is uncovered, and is then returned to its open position and is left in this open position until the port 50 is again uncovered.

I have herein shown one construction or arrangement of apparatus embodying this invention, but I do not desire to limit the invention to the particular construction shown.

Claims.

1. The combination with the tracker board of an instrument of the character described, of a paper web movable across said tracker board and provided with perforations which register with the openings in said tracker board, a delivery roll and a receiving roll for said paper web located on opposite sides of said tracker board, a chamber, a main pneumatic located in said chamher and provided with a member movable in said chamber, means for operatively connecting the movable member within said chamber with the said delivery roll located outside of said chamber, valve containing chambers connected respectively with said chamber and with the main pneumatic therein, each of said valve containing chambers having a port leading to the atmosphere and a second port leading to an exhaust passage, valves in said chambers controlling said port-s, auxiliary pneumatics for operating said valves, and air inlet ports connected with said auxiliary pneumatics and normally covered by said paper web near the opposite side edges thereof, when the paper Web is feeding in a proper manner and uncovered by said paper Web when the latter is feeding in an improper manner, substantially as described.

2. In an instrument of the character described, in combination, a main pneumatic having a movable member, a device operatively connected with said movable member to be operated thereby, a chamber in which said movable member is located, a valve containing chamber connected With said main pneumatic, a second valve containing chamber connected with the chamber in which the movable member of the main pneumatic is located, valves in said chambers controlling the admission of air into and its exit from said main pneumatic and the chamber in which it is located, auxiliary pneumatics for operating said valves, and

means for controlling said auxiliary pneumatics to operate said valves and thereby control movement in opposite directions of the movable member of the main pneumatic and the device governed thereby, substantially as described.

3. In an instrument of the character described, in combination, a roll having thereon a paper web and movable longitudinally in opposite directions, a main pneumatic having a movable member, a chamber in which said main pneumatic is located, means for operatively connecting the movable member of said main pneumatic with said roll, a valve containing chamber connected with said main pneumatic, a second valve containing chamber connected with the chamber in which the movable member of the main pneumatic is located, valves in said chambers cont-rolling the admission of air into and the exit out of said main pneumatic and into and out of the chamber in which said main pneumatic is located, auxiliary pneumatics for operating said valves, and air inlet ports connected With said auxiliary pneumatics and governed by said paper web, substantially as described.

4. In an instrument of the character described, in combination, a roll having thereon a paper web and movable longitudinally in opposite directions, a main pneumatic having a movable member, a chamber in which said main pneumatic is located, a lever operatively connected with said roll for moving the same, a device connected with said lever and with the movable member of the pneumatic within said chamber, a valve containing casing connected with said main pneumatic, a second valve containing casing connected with the chamber in which the movable member of the main pneumatic is located, valves in said chambers controlling the admission into and exit out of the said main pneumatic and into and out of the chamber in which said main pneumatic is located, auxiliary pneumatics for operating said valves, and air inlet ports connected with said auxiliary pneumatics and governed by said paper web, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERIC R. PHILBLADE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE T. DESJARDINS, OSCAR A. BOY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). G. 

